Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Social Distortion @ The Stone Pony Summer Stage

So this is the skinny, real and naked: I hitched a ride to Asbury Park to wish a friend a happy birthday and drink buckets of rum (actual, honest to goodness sand buckets of rum), and eat shell fish and meet another friend's baby who gave me the sass something good but he was aces and fine by me.

But while we approached the Jersey Shore in the heart of Springsteenland, the sign at the landmark Stone Pony was a callin': SOCIAL DISTORTION! TONIGHT!

Well hell.

A brief plan was hatched to compel the birthday party to take the show on the road from the rum bucket house to the concert house, which turned out to be the outdoor parking lot venue adjacent to the storied edifice. A brief discussion among us in the conspiracy (of 2) determined this plan would fail. Namely because there wouldn't be rum buckets inside the concert pen (and it really was a pen...oink).

So we kept our jollies well entrenched at the Beach Bar while Social Distortion fans did what is called in common parlance "the pre-game" near us, wracking your obedient working boy with jealousy. A jealousy soon well rewarded.

For after a good long while, the call was made to get food up the boardwalk. And lo' and behold, the sounds of Mike Ness and mommy's little monsters, were getting louder as we walked. In short order, we were effectively at the concert, hearing it and seeing it crystal clear from the boardwalk. So that's why this counts as a gig to review.

So what if the handful of songs I heard were unrecognizable to me? So what? Problem? I know that snot-nose punk voice when I hear it. And I know that Social D sound. Clangy cowpunk bar glory glory hallelujah. I was jumpin' up in the air just fine and dandy, thank you very much. I was having the best damn time on that boardwalk, bar none. Because I was getting Social Distortion live, unplanned. Finer than a rum bucket, finer than most (MOST, not ALL) dames on their best day. Because essentially, in life, all you need is a good band. That's it. Mystery solved. Story of one's life (sorry).

Also, thankfully, they didn't play "Ball and Chain" while we heard them. My newly minted wife alongside me might have interpreted that number in a wrong manner. If only because of how I would have been singing along. Can't be having miscommunications so soon into one of these marriage deals...